For the longest time I was naïve enough to think that covering
sports at the youth and high school levels are much different than college or
pro.
To a certain extent that aspect is true, because while high
school recruiting websites defy common sense, covering sports at that level
still generally lends itself to having one-on-one interviews after games — as
opposed to postgame press conferences that resemble state-of-the-union
addresses with a beehive of hundreds of media outlets.
Let’s face it, any coach will feel much more comfortable talking
to reporters in a one-on-one setting as opposed being in a crowd of hundreds of
people. Now, social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have
found their way to the youth sports setting.
For those not familiar,
Facebook is a social networking website geared toward posting one’s personal
background on the Internet for reasons that include — but are not limited to —
meeting new people or reconnecting with those from other pockets of your life.
Anyhow, there are status
updates that contain thoughts or simply what one is doing on that day. It can
be things like, “I’m looking forward to going to the park with my kids,” or,
“Why have our last two presidents been so bad?”
I joined the whole social
media quagmire seven years ago. It all started one night when I could not fall
back asleep after one of those night-time feedings to our then-infant twins who
are now seven years old.
In hopes of drawing big
crowds to games, it is pretty common for players, parents and coaches to invite
fans to the game via Facebook.
For that matter, Facebook
and Twitter are also used for things like score updates and youngsters signing
letters of intent.
Welcome to the era of
social media. It continues to grow, even in the world of high school athletics.
These digital-age communication tools open the door to countless possibilities,
but with both upside and downside.
When I was in high school,
our idea of a text message was passing a note in class, and we had to wait
until the teacher had their back turned.
In some ways, social media simplifies and is beneficial because teams can be
promoted on and can update people to post game times, scores, cancellations and
related news. It can be quicker than making phone calls, sending email or text
messages.
The problem, however, is
that some people can use social media for the wrong reasons. Therefore, healthy
boundaries and valuing privacy still have their place.
Among the negatives for
social media is that some youngsters might use it for trash talking, among
other things. Anyone can sign up for a Twitter or Facebook account, then use it
as a verbal weapon while possibly hiding their true identity.
When the communications
reaches beyond team matters, you get into a dark area because too many players
and coaches have gotten themselves into trouble with comments that become too
personal. Players have a venue to bully one another, hidden beyond their keyboard.
However, social media is
here to stay for the foreseeable future, but think before you hit that “send”
button because once you post it, it’s live. You never know who is following
you. On the flip side, you can use it in a constructive way.
So how do you legislate
youngsters with social media? For openers, hold them responsible for everything
they do. Having specific rules is a tough sell, but youngsters need to know how
much of a slippery slope the social media can pose. All it takes is one bad
picture or message, and a player’s career in high school could change forever.
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